The World and Japan in the eyes of Étranger (myself) since 13 April 2010

photo by kind courtesy of @atuktekt (*click the photo for details)

2013/07/30

Greens' YOHEI MIYAKE makes a legendary "charanke in action" in Tokyo during the 2013 Japan Upper House Elections

Greens Japan Candidate and artist YOHEI MIYAKE makes his second appearance in Shinjuku, Tokyo, 5 July 2013 on the second day of Japan's 2013 Upper House Elections. (video under construction with English subtitles)

‎Situation: At around 06:03, an old man suddenly comes towards Mr. Miyake while he's singing, swinging around his umbrella and
yelling at him. Miyake's staff try to console him but Miyake notices the old man and
starts talking to him. This was the beginning of Miyake's legendary charanke in
action at West Shinjuku on July 5, 2013. (Titles omitted)

Note: What is "charanke"? “Charanke” is the Ainu’s traditional method
of verbal ‘war’ between tribes to talk things out. They bring about their own
problems and positions like, “We are facing this
problem,” or “We would like to do this”, and talk through. Eventually, they give in to each other and reach
a forward-looking compromise and a positive, constructive solution. Miyake,
who's a candidate for the Upper House election, respects this method.
"Spread charanke all over Japan!"Via tweet from @midzi_midiz

MIYAKE:

"Did I wake you up? I’m sorry. But, I got the permission from the state. I'm allowed to do
live performance here, today."

(The man says something but is inaudible
because the music is still playing.)

MIYAKE:

"Sorry, ol' ma"n. I’m sorry to wake you up."

(Again, the old man says something but is
still inaudible in the video.)

MIYAKE:

“You weren’t sleepin’? ...What?”

(Miyake starts to tone down his music and
then stops playing his guitar completely)

MIYAKE:

“Here, take the
microphone. Come up here, li'l ol' man. If you got something to say, say it on
this stage. Got it? You could hurt people with your umbrella. It’s not something that you hit people with, you know?”

(Still can’t hear the old man’s words)

MIYAKE:

“Use the microphone,
ol' man. ...What?”

(Finally, the old man takes the mike)

LI'L OL' MAN:

“What you mean by
Ainu?”

MIYAKE:

“Say that again?”

LI'L OL' MAN:

“Why did you…use it like that?”

MIYAKE:

"Well, I do have the right. You see that candidate sign? I’m allowed to do a street performance anywhere in this country until
the 20th.”

(At this point Miyake appears to not
understand the word "Ainu".)

LI'L OL' MAN:

“You were saying
'Ainu", you bastard!”

MIYAKE:

"What?"

LI'L OL' MAN:

“I’m an Ainu!”

MIYAKE:

“You're an Ainu!? “Great, let’s do charanke together! I came from Okinawa.”

(The ol' man suddenly speaks in a smaller
voice)

LI'L OL' MAN:

"Oh....well, I’m from Hokkaido…"

MIYAKE:

"Hokkaido."

LI'L OL' MAN:

“When they first see
me, people often ask me if I’m from Okinawa.”

MIYAKE:

"Ha-ha, right. They are both hairy. An' they both drifted on
a raft from Okinawa to Hokkaido, so they are originally from the same tribe.
Aren't they?"

(The man becomes silent for a while)

MIYAKE:

You know, from Ainu... there is an Ainu
candidate from Greens Japan. Ms.
Shimazaki.”

LI'L OL' MAN:

“So what?”

MIYAKE:

“Would you support
her? It’s really hard to do a campaign, ya know?
I was once jeering like you before. A lot.”

LI'L OL' MAN:

“I’m not jeering, you bastard!"

MIYAKE:

"I know it’s rude to say something like this, but even a monkey can hoot, li'l
ol' man!"

LI'L OL' MAN:

“Are you calling me a
monkey, you bastard?”

MIYAKE:

“Well, we are all
apes, but you know what I mean right? Please understand it man, and not just
bite into my tails..."

LI'L OL' MAN:

“I’m a human!”

MIYAKE:

"You what? Right?"

LI'L OL' MAN:

“A human!”

MIYAKE:

“That's right! A
HUMAN BEING! A human! I'm also a human! Because the state forgot about people,
WE have to go to the Diet! Let’s go to the Diet
together, right, man?”

(The old man becomes silent again)

MIYAKE:

“A human, yes! So I’m fed up with so many things. I’m just a man, so I make mistakes, and can’t be so clean and stylish all the time. But I think that is us, as a human being. I
think this society should be more human-like; it should have more rooms to be
human. We can’t all be perfect. So
we share the same feeling!”

*I think Miyake was saying this. I’m not really sure, but it’s an important point.

(Laughter)

LI'L OL' MAN:

“…Style? (kakkou)… a cuckoo will sing?”

MIYAKE:

"We're in a slump? (kanko-dori)? Hmm?"

(The Old man shows a smile for the first
time)

MIYAKE:

“Wow, you finally
smiled! Finally, smiled!"

(Big applause)

LI'L OL' MAN:

“So, you are from
where?”

MIYAKE:

“I was born in
Belgium, raised in Yamanashi, Yamagata, and Tokyo, and now in Okinawa. My
roots' in Okayama”

LI'L OL' MAN:

"How complicated!"

(Laughter)

MIYAKE:

"That’s so true! I’m just an
'earthling'. It really doesn’t matter where you're from. I
just wanna save this planet! I wanna purify the air in Shinjuku! I wanna dig up
drinkable water! Even in this city. I want to talk about these things in the
Diet! So, we have the same mind, same feeling, don’t we?”

LI'L OL' MAN:

"Hmm..."

MIYAKE:

“Well, we were a bit,
so you might find something you don’t like about us. But no one can be perfect?"

LI'L OL' MAN:

"Well, no..."

MIYAKE:

“I can’t do any other way but this way; my way.”

LI'L OL' MAN:

“Do you know why I
came to you? Coz you said 'Ainu.' Coz I’m Ainu”

(Miyake smiles wryly)

MIYAKE:

“I didn’t say 'Ainu' so maybe the word 'charanke'
made you…”

(The old man gets upset again)

LI'L OL' MAN:

“I AM AINU!”

MIYAKE:

“I know, I know! So,
I'm saying I didn’t say 'Ainu'…”

LI'L OL' MAN:

“You discriminatin'
us, you bastard?”

(The crowd cries out randomly “Not discriminating! We are
the same! You are taking it the wrong
way!”)

MIYAKE:

“See, you're taking
it the wrong way.”

LI'L OL' MAN:

“You're doing it in
your own style you bastard...”

MIYAKE:

"What? Ol' man, you misunderstand me. I
give the greatest respect to the people of Ainu and also Okinawa. I feel like I have some of their blood in me,
like Jyomon blood. Like people who
lived for their hearts and feelings, not for the economy, civilization, or
rationality. So I want to do something for the people who are having hard time
in this society..."

LI'L OL' MAN:

"You say 'Jyomon people' but we are all same human being!”

(Big applause from the crowd, and Miyake,
excitingly says...)

MIYAKE:

“You are so damn
right!”

LI'L OL' MAN:

“I don’t give a damn about being Jyomon
or some shit like that!”

MIYAKE:

"I totally agree with you! So why you
keep saying the same thing from 'the other side'?"

(Laughter)

LI'L OL' MAN:

"We're all same humans!"

MIYAKE:

“Oh, so you wanted to
do the speech! Ha-ha, well, then you should become a candidate, too. I’ll support you!”

LI'L OL' MAN:

“Coz you said the
word 'Ainu'…”

MIYAKE:

“I’m not ‘YOU’, I’m 'YOHEI'.”

LI'L OL' MAN:

"Who gives a damn...?”

MIYAKE:

“I do! I’m doing my campaign now! My name is VERY important! It’s not ‘YOU’! What will you do if people start voting ‘YOU’?”

LI'L OL' MAN:

"Well, then... 'YOHEI'."

(Big applause)

MIYAKE:

"Yup, thanks!

LI'L OL' MAN:

"I'm gonna get going then... then I’m gonna vote for you”

MIYAKE:

“Allrighhhhht!!!”

(Loud cheers from the crowd)

LI'L OL' MAN:

"But...but I can't. I don't live in
Tokyo..."

MIYAKE:

"Well, I'm running for the nationwide
proportional representation district. So you can vote for me from anywhere in
this country. For nationwide proportional representation district, you can
write the individual's name. If you write 'Miyake Yohei' it will give both the
party and me a vote. So please vote for me!"